When swimming enthusiasts watch swimming competitions, they always pay attention to the various swimming goggles worn by athletes, and they also want the same style as their idols. But there is still a big difference between the racing/competition goggles worn by professional athletes and ordinary goggles-non-professionals may not be suitable for wearing them.
Compared with ordinary goggles, racing/competition goggles look particularly “mini”. On the one hand, swimmers are relatively tall, so they visually intensify the “mini” feeling of goggles; on the other hand, racing goggles are indeed smaller than ordinary goggles by more than one lap. In order to ensure a clear vision during the competition, swimmers do not fall when they start diving, and reduce the resistance in the water. They require goggles to be smaller and more suitable for the eyes, so the racing goggles they wear are the same as our ordinary swimming goggles. The mirrors are different in design and construction.
At first glance, racing goggles seem to be less than ordinary goggles. The most obvious is the apron area around the lens.
In addition to swimming, ordinary swimming goggles will also take into account the use of people playing in the water, sunbathing and so on. The comfort of wearing is very important. It is necessary to use more silicone/rubber materials and to cover a larger area outside the eye socket. Some ordinary swimming goggles also have myopia and coating, and the price will be more expensive.
The ordinary swimming goggles we buy near the swimming pool generally look like this (pictured).
The lenses, frames and rubber rings of this type of swimming goggles are large, and the resistance in the water is also large, but the advantages are that they are low in price and fit to wear. Occasionally, it is not a big problem to use for 1 to 2 years.
The racing glasses are specially designed for professional athletes or swimming enthusiasts. The starting point is to avoid adding resistance to the swimming speed as much as possible, and to achieve the best in weight and resistance control. Make the lens, frame, and rubber ring as small as possible to achieve the best fit to the eyeball. Don’t underestimate the resistance of the swimming goggles in the water. If you wear a waterproof sports watch on one wrist to swim, you can immediately feel the difference in resistance between the two hands. Sponsor brands will also tailor-made swimming goggles for their elite athletes to obtain a “face-on-the-face” fit effect. Some products are almost “attached” to the eyeballs. A suitable racing goggles, when viewed from the side, just covers the eye sockets and brow bones, and is roughly parallel to the temples, without obvious raised edges and corners.
Many swimming enthusiasts also buy the “Idol Same Style” racing glasses, wanting to experience the thrill of a white stripe in the waves. When you first wear it, you will feel more intense pressure on the eyeballs, and dizziness is normal. It takes a long time to adapt, and the water resistance may not be as good as ordinary swimming goggles. Because racing goggles have greatly reduced the amount and area of aprons, the most extreme racing goggles have developed to no aprons-only the thin PC material extending from a circle around the lens fits the eye area.
Professional racing goggles without aprons appear in large numbers in professional competitions. Extremely small size, streamlined appearance with low water resistance, tighter fit… Many racing goggles will also add anti-UV and eye protection functions to enhance the experience of some outdoor or open water competitions.
Take Laszlo Cech of Hungary as an example. He is wearing racing goggles without aprons (pictured).
Laszlo Cech
There are many versions of non-apron racing goggles. This is the partial blade type of “Bigfoot” Thorpe (pictured).
Ian James Thorpe
There is a specialization in the technical industry, so is it necessary for ordinary swimmers to buy a pair of racing goggles?
·Although wearing racing goggles looks more cool, we still recommend that you consider more comfort. It takes a long time for most people to adapt to the pressure of racing goggles.
·Racing goggles (especially non-apron goggles) themselves are consumables. Lighter and thinner high-grade materials are not necessarily an advantage in durability. When the materials age and their sealing properties are weakened, they will be “waste. This is the same reason that it is not recommended to wear racing shoes for jogging. They generally have a shorter life span and lower cost performance.
·The low resistance of swimming goggles brings about the increase of speed, which is negligible for most people, and it is far less obvious than the improvement of movement or the improvement of strength/stamina.
However, everyone wants to swim faster. Therefore, if you want to buy racing goggles, you can consider a rubber ring, which can be regarded as between ordinary swimming goggles and non-apron racing goggles.
This kind of swimming goggles is relatively balanced in terms of vision, performance, comfort, service life, and cost-effectiveness. Many professional players such as Phelps and Fu Yuanhui sometimes choose to wear them for competitions.
Professional players will choose with or without aprons according to their current usage habits and preferences, and the contracted brand will also have requirements. According to surveys in recent years, the majority of professional athletes choose racing goggles without aprons. Unless they have eye diseases, no matter how uncomfortable they are to wear, athletes should try their best to adapt-maybe the ranking will So it’s different.
At present, it is still difficult for swimming goggles to be completely waterproof and comfortable. If the eye socket is too tight, it is easy to leave marks and red marks; too loose and easy to get water. If there is no need for professional level competitions, there is really no need to pursue “the same style of idols”.
In addition, the facial contours and eye sockets of Asians are obviously different from those of Westerners. Therefore, the fitting performance of rubber rings varies greatly among different races. What is suitable for Westerners may not be suitable for Asians. If you like swimming, if you really want to get a racing goggles, you can consider referring to the choices of Asian athletes.
